Sharkbait Down Under Ch. 21-30

We rested and had cut lunches out of the cooler as we transited to the next dive location, a reef teeming with sea life. We didn't see any big sharks, but it was still a beautiful dive spot. I didn't envy Linda; editing this visit to just 39 minutes of television would be tough. It would be a good episode, great if she finished it with this shot of Nicholas peeling his wetsuit down to expose his ripped abs.

"Who has the hotter mate between us," I sent to Amy as I started to drool.

"Your man is hot if you like that bulging muscle thing," Amy countered. "Kai has that lean swimmer look I can't get enough of."

"I do like those muscles, but I love how he uses that body to make me scream. I used to think you were kidding about how good it was. It's incredible."

Amy started coughing as she tried not to laugh, getting up to hand out drinks from the Esky. "One more night for you to know the wonders of mated life before we head to Singapore."

I didn't want to focus on that right now, not while I was riding the high of a dive day and holding my mate's hand. I leaned back and let the ocean breeze dry my hair as the boat returned to port.

I liked this area, even if no other werewolves lived here.

We arrived back at the pier at dinnertime, and Linda went back to start editing while we joined Matt and Nicole for dinner at their home.

Terry and Tina arrived shortly after, making it six wolves and four mermaids for dinner. Matt grilled jumbo prawns on the barbie while Nicole made rice and steamed vegetables to go with it. After talking about our day, Terry talked about what he had done. "I've made contact with the heads of the thirty-two Mermaid families in Australia," he said. "They were intrigued by the idea of joining your Pack, but they aren't sure what that means for them quite yet. They were unanimous in their agreement to sign a treaty with you. As I said, we don't want any trouble, and both our species have lived here for centuries." He pulled out a piece of paper and slid it across to me.

Nicholas and I looked at it; it was a simple non-aggression treaty, each side recognizing the other, promising to resolve disagreements peacefully. "I have no issue signing this," Nicholas sent to me.

We both signed, then two mermen signed on lines for their families. "I will have to circulate this among the other families to get their approval before I can give you a copy. Unlike your Pack structure, each family group is an independent entity."

"Pretty much how we operated until we found out what an Alpha was," Nicholas said.

We talked a little more about my production company and plans for the future. Since they were mermaids, they didn't have to be SCUBA qualified to operate underwater cameras as long as everyone on the boat was supernatural. "I'd still like them to be open-water qualified and have camera experience since some expeditions involve university teams or other humans," I said.

"Won't your bodyguards be doing that for you?"

"We haven't gotten that far," I said. "I had bodyguards because I was an unmated Mantled Alpha and a celebrity making public appearances. I'm mated now, and I'm going to focus on my productions instead of modeling after my contract ends next year. I should be fine traveling with my mate or other Pack members."

"And who knows what will happen with the three of us," Amy said. "Our mates are military men, so we can't move down under with Vicki. We might fly in to shoot a documentary, but that's about it. I'm getting out of the modeling business, too. Kai and I want to start a family once he's settled on a Team."

"We might keep modeling, but we have to turn our mates first," Makani said. "Nothing is for sure with that."

Matt smiled at them. "You are young, enjoy your youth while you have it," he said. "You leave in the morning?"

"Yes, we have a flight at ten to Singapore," I said. "We should be going. We haven't been getting much sleep lately."

"Neither have the people in the rooms around you," Amy teased.

"You weren't any better!" I rolled my eyes as the mermaids laughed. "New mates are insatiable."

We said our goodbyes and caught a ride back to our hotel. Our group was just inside the lobby when Fiona froze. "Vampires," she warned.

"Ah, Miss Lawrence, Mr. Corcoran. Congratulations on your engagement," a man said as he walked out of the bar. He looked to be in his late twenties, with that perfect look and expensive suit I'd expect from a Vampire Master. He stopped and extended his hand; I could see another vampire on a couch in the lobby lounge, while a third was waiting in a chair by the door. "My name is Allesandro Molari. Miss Emily asked me to look you up, as she wasn't able to travel to congratulate you in person. She asked me to communicate some things to you privately in her absence. Please, allow me to buy you a drink."

"He won't try anything in public," I sent to everyone. "A friend of Emily is a friend indeed," I said as I grasped his hand firmly before Nicholas shook it. "You guys head back up, we'll be fine," I told the other girls. Fiona and Carly stayed to watch their counterparts in the lobby and near the bar entrance. I held Nicholas' hand while Allesandro led us to the quiet booth in the back he'd taken.

We sat at the large table; after ordering drinks, he got down to business. "I want you to know that I speak for Emily and Cyprian. If you doubt this, please, call either of them, and they will verify."

No Vampire would dare speak for the Supreme Master and a Vampire Master without their authorization; it would be a quick way to lose your head. "That won't be necessary. How are my friends doing?" I didn't know how much he knew of my relationship with the Master Vampire of Boston, or the Supreme Vampire of North America. I didn't know how many vampires knew I had killed Master Alexander, the previous Master of New England.

"They were shocked and pleased to see your engagement on the news," he said. "No one expected you to find a husband down under."

"I certainly didn't, but I'm thrilled it turned out this way," I said as I leaned into Nicholas' shoulder.

"She's an amazing woman," Nicholas agreed. We paused our conversation while the waitress brought our drinks.

When she was gone, he continued. "You understand that Cyprian had hopes that you would eventually swing the Council to a more cooperative relationship than we have enjoyed as a people," Allesandro said.

"I share his sentiments. I understood he was making a long-term play by befriending the next generation of our leaders. Your view of time is considerably different than ours, and the current Council is resistant to change." I hadn't talked in-depth to my mate about my vampire interactions, so I was explaining for Nicholas' benefit too.

Allesandro nodded. "Resistant is an understatement. Coral reefs grow faster than your Chairmen do." I had to laugh at that; coral reefs took decades to mature. "He believes recent events place you in a unique position to force a change."

"How?"

"By taking advantage of our isolation and the trust you have in others." He pulled a napkin over and took a pen out of his jacket pocket. He drew a diagram of the North American Werewolf leadership, from the Council Chairman, through Regional Chairs, to Pack Alphas. Next to that, he drew the Vampire Council, with its Supreme Vampire and regional Masters down to Covens. Below those two, he drew the 'flat' organization of mermaids, with family leaders in loose affiliation.

"Put lines between them that no one dares to cross, and you have it," I said.

"This is what you left," he said. "And this is what you have here in Australia right now." He drew Nicholas and I over our Pack, Allesandro over his Coven Leaders in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth, and the decentralized mermaid families along the coast. "No lines," he said. "There never have been."

"Why not?"

"Don't look at me. I didn't know about either of these kinds until this week," Nicholas said.

"Because our history in this Colony was different than the Americas, or Europe," Allesandro said. "I grew up and was turned in London in the seventeenth century. My leader sent me here; I arrived in Sydney in 1805. I met Philip Corcoran once; he didn't know what to make of me, and I didn't react to him. He was the only one of you I met, and I kept track of him and his descendants until now. None of you showed any hostility, so there was no need to enforce borders and treaties. I set up in the growing cities, while your ancestors fled for new territories every time it started to get crowded. The others were the same, mostly mariners who settled here. They preferred smaller fishing villages and didn't cause any trouble. The continent was big enough for all of us to live our lives as we wished."

"No border wars, no treaties," I said to myself. "I've signed a treaty with the others; it's a simple non-aggression pact. I would be happy to extend the same to you, and I could introduce you to their leaders."

"Thank you, but Cyprian has a bigger plan."

I didn't know what to think of that. I was an eighteen-year-old Alpha female with a new and untrained Pack, a full day's flight from my home Pack. What could I do? "What kind of plan?"

Allesandro smiled and picked up his pen. He took the picture of the Australian order, drawing a big circle around the three groups. "I've heard you are under a lot of pressure right now, Vicki. The North American Council desperately wants you back under their authority, while the European Council would like to steal you away to spite their rivals. Neither group wants what is best for you or your family. What Cyprian is proposing, and I agree with, is to throw away the old order. We create an Australian Council. My people, your people, their people. All united under a single banner, claiming the Australian continent for ourselves. No supernatural of any kind would enter without our agreement, and no foreign Council could do a damn thing about it."

My jaw dropped, and I sat back, amazed at the elegance of the plan. In one act, we'd cut out the legs of the Werewolf Councils and set in place an example of cooperative governance that would shake up the rest of the world. "It's brilliant," I said. "There is a lot of work to get there, especially to bring all the Mer aboard. Still, I want this to happen."

"Cyprian and Emily have promised to assist in any way they can," Allesandro promised.

"I'll work on it while you are gone," Nicholas said. "I can work with Matt and Terry, who are already working on getting the treaty approved."

"Christmas break," I said. "Nicholas and I are getting married in Port Lincoln over Christmas; if we could gather all of us in one place, we could make this happen by the end of the year." I looked over at Nicholas. "We'll send you a wedding invitation."

"I look forward to it," Allesandro said. "I can see you are tired, and I know you leave early tomorrow. Here is my contact information; call me anytime." He got up and walked out, his men following him to his luxury car.

"You can't do it all tonight," Nicholas said as he held his hand out to me. "Let's get you to bed."

That sounded damn good.

Ch. 22

"I'm not sorry about anything. You can sleep on the plane," Nicholas said before he pulled me into another kiss. We'd been up almost the whole night doing what new mates do, and I was sore and exhausted.

Still, I wouldn't change a moment. It would be a month before I could see Nicholas again, and until then, I'm left with BOB and my memories. LOTS of memories. "I have to go, love."

"Call me when you get to Singapore." We kissed one last time, and then I followed the rest of our group into the international section of the airport. Nicholas was heading back to Melbourne, where he would spend the next month learning how to be an Alpha from Leo. I looked back through the glass to where he was standing and the waterworks started. "I miss you already," I sent to him.

"The month will go fast, and then we'll be together again," he said. We kept up the conversation over the link as I boarded the jet, and when we were out of range, I fell asleep.

We arrived in Singapore, which was the cleanest big city I'd ever seen. We had a big meal before I went to bed early. After all, I wouldn't have raccoon eyes for our appearances. The fashion show was packed, with the four of us hitting the catwalk in everything from formal gowns to bikinis. The signing events were well attended and orderly; the people were friendly and patient in the long lines. The food was excellent, as was the hotel. It was a great stop, yet I had a hard time enjoying anything we did without my mate along.

I couldn't believe I was now one of those lovestruck, co-dependent new mates.

I confessed my problems to Amy as we sat in our room, waiting for the series of video calls we had set up with America. It was early morning there. "How do you handle being apart from him?"

"I stay busy and work out my frustrations when I can. Running, swimming, lube, toys, and my rechargeable Hitachi," she said with a blush.

"Seriously?"

She nodded. "It's not the same, not even close, but it scratches the itch. I wish we could talk on the phone like you do with Nicholas; phone sex would be better than jilling off to memories."

That was an idea. "Kai does the same?"

"More workout and no toys, but yeah. It doesn't get any easier as you spend more time apart; the bond reacts to your separation by increasing the pull you feel to be together again. It makes you and your wolf suffer, but it can only get so strong. Kai's father told him that it peaks in a few months as you train yourself and your wolf to ignore it. You can do this, Vicki. It's only another month!"

"Anything else I can expect?"

"Not really. It's not like you're going to suffer through three days of heat and jump the nearest warm body with a functional dick. That only happens in those trashy werewolf stories we laugh about." There was an entire genre of werewolf stories out there, most of which had no connection to reality. So much misinformation abounds that actual Werewolf writers could include the truth, and it just blended into the genre. "Kai's absence makes me sad, but I have to learn to live with it. He had SEAL training with no days off for our entire tour, so it's not like I'd be seeing him if I stayed home. He'll be deploying for six months or longer at a time with the Teams, so I'll just have to get used to it. It helps that I keep myself busy with training, work, and school. What else can I do until the next time I see him?"

"I don't know," I said. "I must sound like a whiny bitch. We've only been separated for a couple of days, and you haven't seen Kai for almost six weeks." It was probably easier for the twins and Carly, who hadn't bitten their human mates yet.

I talked to Nicholas on the phone when I could, but he was busy too. He and Leo were finishing up in Bonnie Doon as the families returned home. For the next few weeks, they would be traveling southern Australia and visiting families. They would stop to see all families, whether they had joined the Pack or decided to wait.

I'd also called my Mom a few times; she had traveled home with my parents to start planning our wedding. My text messages were full of ideas for cakes and dresses. "Tomorrow, we don't have to leave for the airport until mid-afternoon. Maybe we should do some dress shopping for the wedding?" I wanted to handle this part on my own, as our Moms had enough to figure out in a few short weeks.

"One problem with that idea," she said. "Our contracts."

Crap. Amy was right; our Bodyglove contracts stated that we would only appear in public in Bodyglove designs. The photos of our wedding would get international coverage. "Bodyglove doesn't have a line of wedding dresses," I said. I called my Mom in a panic, putting her on speakerphone, and she laughed at me. "Vicki, we're way ahead of you. Mercedes and I talked about your dress the day after you got engaged."

"What did you do?"

"The Bodyglove designers already have a good idea of your style from what you wear and the feedback you've given. They are working on ideas now and will have sketches ready in a few days. Why do you think I've been asking your opinion on so many things?"

"I thought you were trying to get me to focus on the wedding," I replied.

"I was trying to see if you were more traditional or modern on the dress thing. These days, white isn't a standard anymore, and you saw what Susan got married in."

"Mom, that would be the hottest poster ever if I did a beach bikini wedding," I said to tease her back.

"I'm still hoping for the shark cage wedding, but it would be tough to get the entire wedding party in there," Amy said with a laugh.

"It worked for them, and if that is what you want, I'll support you. We have to work extra hard to figure things out over text messages, and we don't have much time. I've even sent the bridesmaid's dress photos to the girls for their opinions. They can't blend into the background, not with those bodies," she teased. I had to laugh; the joke was that the bridesmaids were plain, so the bride looked better. I couldn't do that to them; I wanted their dresses to be ones I'd be happy to wear, too.

"We have some time in the morning, so the girls and I will get together and start looking in earnest," I said. "I don't want a stuffy formal affair or a heavy lace dress and train. We're doing the ceremony in their back yard, not a cathedral."

"I know, honey. It's your day, so figure out what you want, and we'll make it happen."

I loved my Mom so much. "Thank you, Mom. I'll see you in twenty minutes on the call." I said goodbye until then.

"Time for the vamps?"

"Yeah." We'd set them up first since Vampires didn't need to sleep. Meetings were easy to arrange early. I called up the secure videoconference link on my tablet computer and waited for the four people to join. "Hi, Aunt Adrienne," I said as her face came up. She was in the kitchen of their house, her first coffee of the morning in front of her.

She wasn't a morning wolf, either. "Hi girls," she said as she took a sip. I'd asked her to join us because she was with me starting with Alexander and was the only true diplomat in the family. I didn't need Leo's style if I was putting together a Supernatural Council in Australia.

Adrienne was soon joined onscreen by Supreme Vampire Cyprian, Master Emily, and Master Alessandro. The usually unemotional vampires seemed happy to see me. "Congratulations on your engagement, Vicki," Cyprian said. "Have you set a wedding date?"

"We have," I said. "Wednesday, December 28^th of this year, at the Corcoran home in Port Lincoln. Invitations will be forthcoming, but I wanted to personally invite each of you, with a guest, to attend."

The others didn't answer until Cyprian did. "That is... generous of you. I trust our presence will not cause you any trouble?"

"Not with our Pack or the Australian guests. I don't intend to give any warning to the other guest flying in, though."

"Is that wise," Alessandro said. "The other wolves may take offense."

"I'm counting on it," I said. "You are right in that an Australian Supernatural Council is the best way for us to gain freedom from the existing Councils and foster cooperation. My goal is to negotiate and sign an agreement that we can announce at the wedding. We have to work in secrecy to get that done."

Luna Adrienne nodded. "The North American and European Werewolf Councils covet Vicki's territory, and she will play them against each other until then. If they get wind of what is happening, they will move against her Pack before it can get established."